Despite the success of his YouTube channel and various other businesses, Donaldson doesn’t consider himself a rich person, he said in an interview with Time, after being named to the publication’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023 list.  

“I mean, not right now,” Donaldson told Time. 

The reason Donaldson doesn’t believe he’s wealthy at the moment is because all the money he makes from his work gets reinvested back into making more videos. Donaldson’s YouTube channel, which is the most followed on the platform, has issued more than 750 videos since it launched in 2012. Most of his content features either elaborately designed competition-show–style challenges or generous acts of charity such as paying for a cataract surgery or giving homeless people large sums of money. Each video now regularly tops 100 million views and brings in several million dollars in ad revenue and brand sponsorships, according to Time. 

He’s also branched out into several other business ventures—most notably in the packaged goods space with a line of chocolate bars called Feastables, which he says brings in $100 million a year in revenue. In a testament to his promotional power, Feastables was a success out of the gate, selling 1 million bars in the first 72 hours of its launch in 2022. The brand now has a jersey sponsorship with the Charlotte Hornets. Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen praised Donaldson and other influencers who launched consumer product lines, calling their efforts the “future of brands.” 

During the pandemic Donaldson launched MrBeast Burger, a delivery-only restaurant. Donaldson also has two tech companies with service offerings that content creators might need: data analytics firm ViewStats and Creator Global, which provides language dubbing for online video content.  

Donaldson did not respond to a request for comment. 

All of Donaldson’s various businesses combined bring in at least half a billion dollars, he told Time. And yet, he doesn’t pocket the money, instead preferring to plow it back into his companies, which is why he says he isn’t rich. “Right now, whatever we make, we reinvest,” he noted.

Going that route was a risky decision, according to Donaldson. “I’ve reinvested everything to the point of—you could claim—stupidity, just believing that we would succeed,” he said. “And it’s worked out.”

So far, Donaldson’s various companies are not profitable. Based on financial projections for this year, it’s unlikely they’ll turn a profit in 2024 either. 

In 2022, Donaldson was reportedly seeking investors for his various business ventures. At the time, he was in search of at least $150 million in backing for a 10% stake in his business that would have put its overall valuation at $1.5 billion—a record for an influencer. 

Despite being the face of an operation that brings in nine figures in revenue, Donaldson doesn’t control its finances. That responsibility falls to his mother, Susan Parisher, who has worked for her son’s company since 2017 and currently serves as chief compliance officer. “I don’t have access to any of my bank accounts,” says Donaldson. “I have a CFO and everything, but [my mom’s] the one who has access to the master bank account.”

The accounts that Parisher controls could soon get even bigger. Donaldson is reportedly in talks with Amazon Prime Video for his own streaming show. Some reports pegged a potential deal at around $100 million.